ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced it will publish a Request for Information and Interest to evaluate industry interest and gather public input that could inform a potential lease sale for minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Alaska. The request is an early step in BOEM’s competitive leasing process and is not a decision to hold a sale.
The Request for Information supports the Trump Administration’s focus on strengthening domestic supply chains and advancing American energy and resource leadership.
“Alaska’s offshore holds strategic potential for the minerals that drive American industry, defense and next-generation technologies,” said BOEM’s Acting Director Matt Giacona. “This Request for Information is a practical first step to gauge interest and identify areas where development could make sense for jobs, investment and national supply chains.”
If a sale is ultimately held, it would be the first Outer Continental Shelf minerals lease sale offshore Alaska.
What the Request for Information does
The notice invites all parties, including the public, companies, governments, and Alaska Native tribes and other organizations to submit information about potential lease areas, uses and conflicts, and other factors that could inform BOEM’s planning. Among other items, BOEM seeks input on minerals of interest, potential tract configurations and interactions with other ocean uses.
The Request for Information area encompasses the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf as a whole; responses will help BOEM narrow and shape any areas for further analysis.
How to respond
The request will be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 29, 2026. That publication will open a 30-day window for input. Members of the public may submit comments at www.Regulations.gov under docket number BOEM-2025-0318. Companies wishing to indicate commercial interest in specific Outer Continental Shelf blocks should follow the instructions in the notice and submit to AlaskaLeaseSales@boem.gov or by mail to:
BOEM Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region
Office of Leasing and Plans
3801 Centerpoint Dr Ste 500
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Comments will be received until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, March 2, 2026.
What comes next
If BOEM receives indications of interest and proceeds, the Bureau would follow its minerals leasing regulations, including Area Identification, a Proposed Leasing Notice (at least 60 days before a Leasing Notice), and a Leasing Notice (at least 30 days before any sale). BOEM would then evaluate bids under competitive cash-bonus procedures.
For more information — including a copy of the Request for Information and a map of the area included in the request — see: www.boem.gov/ak-minerals-2027
-- BOEM --
The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.